McConnell rejects 'trivial' pursuit of secret dossier

JACK McConnell last night dismissed as "trivia" demands that he publish a secret report on the Executive's budget before the next election.

The First Minister claimed the report, which civil servants have admitted could provoke a public backlash, would only be made available after the Holyrood poll.

Mr McConnell's refusal to sanction releasing the report, which ministers had previously promised to publish this year, came after he faced sustained pressure from the opposition at Holyrood.

The First Minister claimed that the report - which identified action to take on spending programmes that do not fit the coalition parties' commitments or were not performing well - had been commissioned to help prepare future budgets from 2008-9.

Questioned by Annabel Goldie, the leader of the Scottish Tories, he told parliament: "That is the right way for deliberations on a budget to take place. That is what budgeting should be about, not about this sort of trivia, about results for real people."

Ms Goldie hit back last night. She said: "We have not heard any logical reason as to why the report has now been delayed until after next year's elections.

"Something smells, and unless the First Minister returns to his original promise of publishing it now, the stink will only get bigger."

Last night it was also revealed that the Treasury in London has been briefed on the controversial budget plans.

Tom McCabe, the minister for finance, has met Stephen Timms, the chief secretary to the Treasury, to discuss the implications of the Westminster government's up-coming spending review.

A team of senior civil servants from London also briefed the Executive's most senior officials as long ago as February on the Treasury's UK spending review, which will impact on the money coming to Scotland from 2008.

It is understood that at these meetings - and other contacts this year between officials north and south of the Border - the contents of the budget review group were discussed.

A spokeswoman for Mr McCabe confirmed that he had met Mr Timms in July to discuss the UK spending review, which will affect Scotland, along with every Whitehall department, for the three-year period from 2008.

The spokeswoman added: "The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK government at both ministerial and official level on a wide range of budgetary issues, including the spending review."

Nicola Sturgeon, the deputy leader of the SNP, said: "It is entirely unacceptable behaviour if Mr McCabe and Mr McConnell are prepared to let Westminster politicians view the report, but not Scottish politicians or Scottish taxpayers."